Exp 36 or 40 - Opinion Needed

[Nads786]

I’m really considering the 36 explorer 1 and went and tried it on today. It felt a little bit smaller than I realized in person but I feel like the pictures make it look good.

When I tried it against the Air King which was available as a proxy for the 40 Exp1 the decision became even harder.

My daily right now is a BLNR so my thought is the 36 would be a good compliment to it.










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[0nly5iv3Digits]

36 is classic. I'm a 114270 guy, but would take the 36 > 40.

Looks great on you, mate.

[hartsy]

All personal preference! Both beautiful watches. I went with the 40. The aggressive bracelet taper on the 36 definitely made it look and feel pretty small for my liking. Can't go wrong though.

[JRell]

I am normally a 40 or larger watch guy, but I have to admit there is something nostalgic about the 36 on your wrist. Tough one.

[Brich436]

I own both the 36mm Exp 1 and the BLNR (on jubilee).... been wearing the Exp 1 for 3 years now.

The dial and glass on the 36mm Explorer 1 and BLNR are the same size (around 29.5mm). The 40mm model has a much larger dial and glass. It doesn't look quite right to me and I prefer the visual presentation (of a low key watch) in the 36mm model. I also LOVE the cues back to the pre-14270 in how they did the case of the 36mm model. |

The 36mm model is my EDC and I wear it 95% of the time including every single day to work where it gets the heck beaten out of it. If I could only have "one watch" this would be it. It does everything so well and doesn't scream ROLEX and I think makes an excellent pairing with the BLNR for something a little more discreet. Finally, it will be dramatically lighter in weight than the 40mm model and less clunky.

[CarlOver]

To me, wrist shots seem to not accurately portray the size of the watch in reality. I say 40.

[Justinmg]

Originally Posted by 0nly5iv3Digits

36 is classic. I'm a 114270 guy, but would take the 36 > 40.

Looks great on you, mate.

Same! 36 is classic

[Nads786]

Originally Posted by CarlOver

To me, wrist shots seem to not accurately portray the size of the watch in reality. I say 40.

Yeah that’s the one problem, I see the pictures and it looks great but when I’m seeing it with my own eyes it feels small.


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[Nads786]

Originally Posted by Brich436

I own both the 36mm Exp 1 and the BLNR (on jubilee).... been wearing the Exp 1 for 3 years now.

The dial and glass on the 36mm Explorer 1 and BLNR are the same size (around 29.5mm). The 40mm model has a much larger dial and glass. It doesn't look quite right to me and I prefer the visual presentation (of a low key watch) in the 36mm model. I also LOVE the cues back to the pre-14270 in how they did the case of the 36mm model. |

The 36mm model is my EDC and I wear it 95% of the time including every single day to work where it gets the heck beaten out of it. If I could only have "one watch" this would be it. It does everything so well and doesn't scream ROLEX and I think makes an excellent pairing with the BLNR for something a little more discreet. Finally, it will be dramatically lighter in weight than the 40mm model and less clunky.

So that’s part of why I want a second watch that compliments my BLNR. It’s by no means bulky but it’s not a thin light forget it’s on your wrist watch.

I like the idea of having a non cyclops Rolex.


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[Brich436]

Originally Posted by Nads786

So that’s part of why I want a second watch that compliments my BLNR. It’s by no means bulky but it’s not a thin light forget it’s on your wrist watch.

I like the idea of having a non cyclops Rolex.


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Yes indeed. If I could do it over I would have done a no date Sub for the same reason. I didn’t realize till I got the Exp 1 how much I liked a clean time only dial. Exp 1 in 36mm is also a lot lower key than the BLNR.

[Krash]

It depends on your wrist size. I have 7.5” wrists so I prefer the 40.

But when shopping for a Datejust, my wife said, “a 36 is a man’s watch.” Her words, not mine.


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[KatGirl]

Originally Posted by Nads786

I’m really considering the 36 explorer 1 and went and tried it on today. It felt a little bit smaller than I realized in person but I feel like the pictures make it look good.

When I tried it against the Air King which was available as a proxy for the 40 Exp1 the decision became even harder.

My daily right now is a BLNR so my thought is the 36 would be a good compliment to it.










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The 36 has classic proportions and is meant to be smaller than a diver. It looks great on you. Aesthetically, it’s a much better looking piece than the 40. Just my own take. I am awaiting my own Explorer 36, because I like to wear “men’s watches”.

Kat


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[Kevin of Larchmont]

Stick with your original instinct, the 36 is the perfect size for that watch and the perfect contrast in a collection of larger references.

[cdmorenot]

Original or not, I can’t do the 36. Looks lost on my wrist.

The 36 fits my wife perfectly though with her tiny wrist. We have the 36 , 40 combo.

[Nads786]

Originally Posted by cdmorenot

Original or not, I can’t do the 36. Looks lost on my wrist.

The 36 fits my wife perfectly though with her tiny wrist. We have the 36 , 40 combo.

Have any side by side pictures? The AD only had the Air King as a proxy which I’m not sure is good enough.


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[Kenny G]

You can pull off either….it depends on the look you’re going for.

The 40 won’t give you much differentiation from your GMT aesthetic-wise and might actually appear on wrist a little larger than your GMT due to the larger dial.

The 36 is the old school Rolex vibe.

[cdmorenot]

Originally Posted by Nads786

Have any side by side pictures? The AD only had the Air King as a proxy which I’m not sure is good enough.


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Sure! Here you go.












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[omar-rye]

Thanks for the pics Carlos. Don’t beat me up but I think the 36 looks better on your wrist…

[cdmorenot]

Originally Posted by omar-rye

Thanks for the pics Carlos. Don’t beat me up but I think the 36 looks better on your wrist…

Ha! It’s all good. A few years ago I would have agreed. After all, my daily was a DJ 36. But since then, I’ve put on some weight and started wearing a 42 SMP which is a big chunk of metal so I got used to having something a little bigger on.

I appreciate you!

[Cru Jones]

I recently went through this dilemma and chose…….. neither. Sorry I can’t be of more help!

I preferred the looks of the 36 on the watch tray compared to the 40, but on the wrist it felt too small and I didn’t like the thin but thick clasp. The 40’s clasp felt better on the wrist, but the large dial felt too large for me.

In the end, what I want is an Explorer sized between the two existing models with the 40’s clasp.

Good luck with your choice!

[Mr. Superlative]

Prefer the 36. I find that size is synonymous with the Explorer 1.

[Seddyspaghetti]

40

[shalashaska]

The 36 has the best proportions in my opinion. However if you’re considering a 40mm, try the actual 40mm Explorer. I think it’s irresponsible of your AD to hand you an Air King to gauge how the 40mm Explorer would feel like. I personally feel the 224270 has poor use of negative space. But this is just my opinion, however I strongly suggest you get an actual 224270 on your wrist before making any decision.


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[JasoninDenver]

Tough as you can pull off either. I like the 36 up close on your wrist but think the 40 looks better overall.I would go 40.

[london_v]

It’s a tough one right. I was in a similar position. I had a BLNR and complemented it with a 36 Explorer. Over time, I felt the Explorer was too small and dainty for my wrist. 19mm bracelet width slightly too small and the taper is aggressive, and I found it cumbersome to put the watch on as it’s definitely designed for smaller hands!

Fast forward a few years, BLNR and Explorer gone, both replaced with a 41 Sub as my do it all watch.

In your case, perhaps consider the 36 black OP which has the better bracelet proportions IMO.

[Rollieo]

I have a BLNR as well, and got the Explorer 36 for its simplicity. Love the time only, super understated but at the same time such a beautiful piece. I’ve tried on a 40 before and it’s just HUGE to me.

40mm is very different on an Explorer compared to the BLNR. The dial is primarily what drives how big the watch looks. Because the BLNR (or even the newer 41mm sub) have larger bezels, the watch doesn’t look as big.

Lastly, many same opinions as Brich. I really like the lightness and how easy the 36mm wears. My Explorer is currently my go to travel watch as well as the watch I wear when working out. It works well in every situation, and most watches wouldn’t be comfortable lifting weights with. No a 36mm Explorer.

[Little machines]

Both look good ! The 40 would be a better fit IMO . Also consider wearability . Good luck!

[DLRIDES]

Originally Posted by CarlOver

To me, wrist shots seem to not accurately portray the size of the watch in reality. I say 40.

Concur .............. go 40mm.

[Otto]

When I tried it on many months ago, the new 36 mm Explorer seemed smaller overall than the old 36 mm Explorer. I think it's mainly the effect of the bracelet. The smaller bracelet may make the case look bigger in photos, but when I tried the watch on several different times, it just felt too small overall on my 7 inch wrist and the bracelet was the deal killer. I wore 36mm Rolex watches (DJ and DD) for many, many years, but this one just felt different. Photos make it appear bigger.

But maybe if I wore it a while, I would change my mind. Who knows? I've eaten crow before when buying a watch I said I wouldn't buy. In any event, I will most likely go with the 40mm if I decide to buy one. If I were to decide to go with a 36mm Explorer, my thinking right now is that I would likely go with an older Explorer.

I had the 39mm Explorer for many years and heard many "experts" criticize its proportions for what seemed like forever and a day, but I loved that watch, saw it as a perfectly balanced watch, and only sold it because I wanted something else more. I've seen the new Explorer 40mm several times now and it looks good to me.

Maybe I'll go to Nakano and try on the 36 and 40 models this week and see if my opinion changes. It's been a while.

[brandrea]

I’ve always liked the 40 mm Explorer. I think it’s a great reference of you want a larger version of the classic 36